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n TOY ELECTMG RAILWAY.. l r No. 295,473. Patented Mar. l18., 1884.

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; BACON.

, ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

10.295,473. Patented Maf. 18, 1884.

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`1\I0.Nz95,473. Patented Mar. da. 1884,`

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. `MUEEAY BACON, lor PHILADELPHIA, l PENNSYLVANIA, AssICNoE To THENOVELTY ELECTRIC COMPANY, OE sAME PLACE.

TOY ELCTRIORAILWAY.

` SPECIFICATION""formingfpart for-Letters Patent No. 295,473, datedMarch 18,1884.

` Application filed December 10,1883. (No model.)

Be it known that I, MURRAY BACON, a Cinzen of the United States, and aresident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an ImprovementinToy` Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to make a toy in the foi-1n of an electricrailway, the invention comprising a track, supporting structure, andelectrical connections, too fully described hereinafter to needpreliminary explanation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l, Sheet l, is a perspective Viewof a toy electric railway made in accordance with my invention; Fig.` 2,Sheet 2, a sectional view of the same, Fig. 3, a plan view of a portionof the structure, showing the method of setting the rails; Figs. 4, 5,and 6, views on a larger scale, re-

spectively, of one of the rail-supporting bars,

the rail-gaging bar, and one of the cross-ties; Fig. 7, Sheet 3, asectional view, on a still larger scale, of the central frameor spider;Fig. 8, a perspective view of the same; and Figs. 9 and l0, a sectionalview and an inverted plan View, respectively, of a short-circuit ingdevice in connection with a signal-post forming part of the toy.

It may be stated, in the outset, that the toy consists of a track,(preferably circular,) one 3() f other rail `to the other pole ofabattery or other rail of which is connected to one pole and thegenerator of electricity,the locomotive (which is not shown in thedrawings) consisting, es-

sentially, of a wheeled truck, which has an electromotor secured orgeared to one of its axles, the circuit from one rail to the other beingcompleted through the motor and through one of the axles and its wheels.

A A are the two rails of the track, which consist of sheet metal stripsadapted to notches a a in radial arms B, four in the present instance,and in short cross-ties D, ar-

` usual in curved tracks.

ranged at suitable distances apart around the track, the inner notches,a, being preferably deeper than the outer notches, a', as shown in Figs.4 and 6, so that the outer rail, A', will be somewhat higher than theinner rail, as is The inner ends of the arms B are fitted to sockets bin a central frame, F, the under sides of the arms having notches d forthe reception of thebottom bar,

e, of the socket, and the inner ends of the arms bearing upon thecentral plate, g, of the frame, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the arms areconfined laterally, longitudinally, and vertically. The frame F iscompleted by a rim, h, which connects the outer ends of the sockets, asshown in Fig. 8. One of the arms B has a binding-post, i, connected i.by an insulated Wire, i', e with the inner rail, A, and another of thearms has a similar binding-post, 7c, connected by a wire, k', with theouter rail, A', so that when said posts are connected, respectively, tothe positive and negative wires of a battery or other generator ofelectricity a motor placed upon the track will be caused to traverse thesame.

It should be understood that the arms B and cross-ties D rest upon thelicor or upon a table or other level surface, and in order that theproper running of the locomotive will be insured, it is necessary thatthe rails of the track shall be perfectly concentric and at a uniformdistance apart at all points; hence in preparing the track I first fitthe rails A A to the notches of the arms B, and then t to a centralopening, m, in the plate F, apin, n, on

. the inner end of a gage-bar, G, Fig. 5, the

outer end of which has in the under side notches p p, which receive theupper edges of the rails. This bar is then turned upon its pivot, so asto properly space and curve the rails, the

notched ties D being inserted in succession at the proper distancesapart as the bar is moved, so as to cause the rails to retain theirproper relation to each other-and to the center of the supportingstructure.

One of the cross-ties D is extended, as shown in Figs. 1, 9, and 10, andcarries a standard, J, in which is a bearing for ashaft K, the upper endof which carries signal-disks K', the lower end of the shaft having anarm, s, contained within a recess, t, in the under side of the tie.Projecting into this recess is a springplate, c, with which connects awire, c', terminating in the outer groove, a, of the tie, so as to forma connection with the outer rail, A.` The inner rail, A, has aconnection througha wire, w, with the standard J and shaft K, so thatwhile the said shaft is in the position shown by full lines in Figs. 9and 10 (the signal then indicating safety) there is no interruption ofthe circuit between the rails A and A through the motor; but when theshaft is turned to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 10 (thesignal then indicating danger) the current is short-circuited throughthe wire o', spring-plate v, shaft K, standard J, and wire w, and themotor ceases to run. A semaphore-arm signal may, however, be usedinstead of a rotating disk signal.

It will be observed on reference to Figs. 7 and 8 that the sockets b arecut away or recessed on the under side, so that when the bars B areremoved the frame F forms a cage, in which can be snugly coiled thestrips which form the rails A A', thus providing for the packing of theparts of the toy in small compass for transportation or storage.

I claim as my invention- 1. A toy electric railway in which are combinedthe following' elements, namely: a suitable generator of electricity, acentral frame, a series of radial arms, B, aseries of cross-ties, D, twosheet-metal strips adapted to notches in the said arms B and ties D, andtwo wires, t" and k', as set forth.

2. The combination of the rails A A with the supporting-arms B, notchedat the outer end for the reception of the rails, and having secured tothem wires communicating with said notches, as set forth. 3o

8. The gage-bar G, having a pivotpin, n, and notches p p in its underside for adaptation to the rails A A', as set forth.

4. The combination of the frame F, having sockets b, with the bars B,having in their un- 3 5 der sides notches d, in which the bottom bars ofthe sockets fit, whereby radial withdrawal or displacement of the barsis prevented, as set forth. l

5. The center frame, F, havingsockets b and 4o recessed on the underside to form a cage for containing, when coiled, the strips composingthe rails, as set forth.

6. The combination of the rails and their supporting structure with ashort-circuiting 45 MURRAY BACON.

Witnesses:

J oHN E. PARKER, HUBERT HowsoN.

